Army Strong Videos

Our Daughter, the Superhero

SPC Shannon Lee Hosmer Davis talks about her experience when joining, talking to recruiter. Like the parents of many Soldiers, Brad and Nancy were worried about deployment. They talk about the concern they felt when she decided to join t...

Serving When Needed

Our Daughter, the Superhero

SPC Shannon Lee Hosmer Davis talks about her experience when joining, talking to recruiter. Like the parents of many Soldiers, Brad and Nancy were worried about deployment. They talk about the concern they felt when she decided to join t...

Nancy: She came home and she said, "Well, I'm going to the recruiter, I'm going to join the Army." And I went, "Wow."

Shannon: I kind of knew their reaction would be a little like, "Are you crazy? What are you thinking?"

Brad: Personally, I didn't really want her to go. I was a little nervous about it. I said to her, "You know, if you do this, you more than likely will be overseas at one point in time." And she told me, "I understand that, and I'm ready to do that." Her exact words were, "I want to serve my country."

Shannon: He was a very honest recruiter. He said, "As an MP, you will be deploying." And to me right there, just, that was just, I wanted to do it. I wanted to do my part in this world.

Brad: I had a knot in my chest, 'cause I knew that eventually deployment would come about.

Shannon: At first I was real, real nervous because I was fresh out of Basic Training, but I think that was the best training I could've possibly had, was to be deployed right away.

Brad: She ain't no little girl no more, but she's my little girl, and she was going off to war, simple as that. Every day I would go to work and the very first thing I would do would be to head right for the computer and fire it up and [think] "Please be there, Shannon. Please be there." I think I must have said it every e-mail, every phone call. I was so proud of her; it was hard to get the words out without crying.

Shannon: I feel like my self-confidence just went through the roof. I can do whatever they throw at me. There may be a little setback here and there, but you overcome that setback and you just drive on.

Brad: We're amazed. Her brother thinks the world of her. She's just his superhero. I was that way too. I think I sent her an e-mail once and said, "Superman himself could land next to me and I'd say, 'Excuse me, sir. You're blocking the view of my daughter.'"